Conium maculatum - Hemlock is a herbaceous plant within the Apiaceae family and is native to Europe and the Mediterranean region. The leaves, seeds, and roots of the hemlock plant are highly poisonous. They contain high levels of coniine, a substance fatal to humans and livestock if ingested. Coniine will disrupt the central nervous system by blocking the neuromuscular junctions causing eventual paralysis of the respiratory muscles resulting in death by asphyxiation.
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The concept of polis, or city states, flourished in the Archaic Period of Greece. One such state, Lacedaemon, with its main settlement of Sparta, began its rise to prominence in the 10th century BC. It became the dominate Greek power after defeating Athens in the Peloponnesian War. Sparta was eventually defeated by Thebes, another Greek city-state, in 371 BC. Lacedaemon survived the war, but lost its regional supremacy. In a weakened state, it was absorbed into the Roman Empire in 146 BC.
